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Reina Luisa was once again beaten and assaulted by the political police this past Saturday, June 26, in Banes. This occurred about 100 yards from the house of the Cuban martyr Orlando Zapata Tamayo when two Ladies of Support were trying to visit her and the local authorities rushed up against them to arrest them. When Reina Luisa heard about this, she and her kids went over to the scene to aid them and to impede the brutal police action.

Caridad Caballero Batista, one of the women who was hurt, told me that no local residents joined the mob and that it was carried out entirely by officials. She added that despite the fact that Mariblanca Avila was the skinniest woman among the group, she received the harshest of the blows. About 24 hours after of the beatings she felt very bad and was taken to the Velazco hospital, located in her native municipality. She still remained in the hospital receiving medical treatment on Monday, June 28.

Reina Luisa, still suffering from the physical trauma associated with the physical blows she received, explained to me over the phone that, “The incidents occurred out in the open street before the eyes of all the neighbors which shockingly expressed their disapproval of such events. They dragged one of my youngest granddaughters, my other son fractured his finger, they hit me and broke one of my fingers, and Cari Caballero was mistreated and Mariblanca Avila received the worst of it.”

“In addition”, she explained, “They were so violent, and they know what that they did got out of hand, that they actually allowed me to go to mass the next day without any sort of mob commanded from I don’t even know where to scream obscenities and offenses at me. In fact, one of those head political policemen, major Roilan of the G-2, went to my house to tell me that what had occurred the day before was being analyzed and would be taken care of with those who took part in it”.

“They are so wicked that they let me go to church to try to cover up what they had done to me on Saturday afternoon so I would not denounce the events. But I blame all those policemen if Mariblanca experiences any sorts of complications. I blame them and all of their superiors because they command and allow such acts, just the same way they commanded and allowed the assassination of my son Orlando Zapata.”